palyndrone

I went to an event like this where I had 5 one-on-one interviews in an afternoon: the key thing to remember at this stage is that the program is trying to sell itself to you! Just brush up on your background & know who you're talking to and you'll be fine--in almost all my interviews the professors talked way more than I did. Use the opportunity to really learn as much as you can, and don't be afraid to talk to the current grad students!

I'll take a shot based on your username and guess you're applying to microbiology/biomolecular science programs, so you'll probably be doing rotations your first year anyway--so you can be flexible. Definitely bring up the PIs you named that align with your 'interest', and if you're enthusiastic about the school for other reasons, talk about that too! I've been in your position for one program, and I spun it as "My interests align well with the current work of Dr. X, Y, and Z, but I'd like the opportunity to collaborate with researchers in other fields/take an interdisciplinary approach/learn new techniques" etc. Having more than one focus isn't a weakness as long as you have the rationale or experience to back it up.

Has anyone applied to Ohio State microbiology this year or previously? Their deadline was a little later (Dec 15) and it seems like their admissions process is slowish, but I can't get an idea of their timeline at all from the website or from the results posted here.

Every email notification I get now gives me a heart attack. Now that it's the end of Jan and most 1 Dec applications have been processed already, I'm almost as desperate for rejections as interviews, so that I can stop clinging to false shreds of hope! Sounds like everyone else is feeling the same way ?

I had a 20 minute skype interview a few weeks ago with admissions committee members (not a POI). They pretty much asked what you mentioned reviewing: what I liked about their program specifically, what my research interests were, what I wanted to do with a PhD, and about some of the academic/research experience I had put on my CV. I'm not sure how it works in the humanities, but they probably just want to get a feel for you and make sure you're a serious applicant. Have a couple questions ready to ask them too! Honestly I was crazy nervous the whole time, and asking questions about the program helped me get a handle on the conversation and end with a strong note.

Be concise and clear--somebody's only looking at this essay for a minute. Always include: what your interests are and why, what makes you qualified, and what you want to get out of a PhD program. Something I did to save time on 8+ essays was tailor my opening and closing to the school, but keep the body (research experience, interests, skills, motivations) the same. Try to nail it in 500 words, longer doesn't mean better. How specific you are about your plans for study is gonna depend on the you and program, but you should definitely follow tm_s's advice and mention faculty members whose labs interest you. Even if those people aren't taking students, it demonstrates that you know enough about the program to make an informed candidate and that your interests do actually fit. Remember: the goal is to score an interview! The interview is where you can be charming or interesting and share more about your background--but you have to look good enough on paper for them to want to know more.

The best thing you can do is practice tests and drills, especially if your math is weak. Memorize key formulas and really get used to solving those types of problems. If you're struggling with rusty math concepts you haven't used since grade school, KhanAcademy is a really helpful teaching resource. I had less than a week to study before my GRE and I managed to get 50% or more in all 3 categories, so you can definitely do it! Good luck!

As far as I can tell the recruitment event is an extremely important part of actually securing an admission offer after you've already gotten screened on skype. The University of Florida MCS department candidate visit for PhD applicants is 21-23 Feb, and I would love to go. Problem is, even though I'm a domestic applicant, I currently live outside the US. UF doesn't offer funding assistance for international travel. My unpaid internship doesn't exactly give me a travel stipend, if you know what I mean, but I think it would be a mistake not to go! Would it be appropriate to ask if they could cover a domestic leg of the trip? I'd be willing to spring for 2 flights if they could pay for the third!

Good point, Thanks! I really hope they focus on my research experience, my final year project is the only thing I know for sure I can talk about for 30 minutes!

I received an invite for a 30 minute Skype interview (University of Florida, Microbiology and Cell Science) next week, and the interview is going to be conducted by 2 faculty in the department. Neither of the faculty members conducting the interview are people I listed as potential PIs in my SOP. I think it might be a preliminary interview before formal in-person ones are sent, but I'm not totally sure. My dilemma is: should I brush up on the recent publications of my interviewers, or should I focus on the research from labs I put in my SOP? Is it more likely they'll reference their own work, or ask me about other faculty that I indicated interest in? Thanks for the help!

Hi @brenomumic! An essay review request for the GRE would probably be better off in the Writing Samples subforum of the Applications section. It's common for people to do trades on critiques there if you're looking for help!

If you're taking the GRE in the normal computer format, you'll be able to download a pdf of your results as soon as you get them (after about a week). So if you need to upload them to your application, you'll be fine. As for the scores being sent, 27 days is probably enough time. If you're worried, you can always check with the grad school admissions office to see if they've received them a bit before the deadline.

Recieved a skype interview request today from Microbiology and Cell Science faculty at University of Florida, it sounds like they're doing skype interviews this week and next week!

If it's appropriate for an MSW program you might be able to ask whoever wrote the evaluation or somebody else in charge of your internship program for a LOR. Most of the time letters need to be specific, submitted externally, and something that you haven't seen or been able to influence. In addition, universities may ask LOR writers for additional information when they respond to the email request sent through the application portal. If your evaluation is like mine, and it's just a signed form detailing your performance, it probably won't count. Best bet is to ask your admissions office if you're unsure.

D&D and other tabletop RPGs are one of my favorite ways to de-stress and fit in time with friends outside the lab! I've also been involved in community/school theater since I was in high school. I probably wouldn't have time for acting, but I hope I still have a chance to support local theater wherever I end up.

Wrong thread, this is biology! I'll second the schools though; anybody heard from UWashington microbiology? I've only seen one person on the results page.

I'm applying for PhDs in microbiology/MCDB from my final year of undergrad at a non-US school and I'm a little worried about not stacking up as a domestic applicant, especially since my experience isn't primarily in micro! Could use some advice about my viability for my program choices. My area of interest is microbial genetics and diversity, and microbe-host interactions. Undergrad Institution: respectable mid tier UK university Major: Biology Over-all GPA: First-class marks, foreign credit GPA conversion of 3.83 Position in class: not calculated Type of student: domestic, white, (transgender) male GRE Scores: (new) 163 V / 155 Q / 4.0 A Research Experience: Currently on a full year undergrad research project/dissertation in epigenetics (key gene methylation in mouse neural tissue in response to developmental folate depletion) Spent 6 months working as a volunteer on an independently funded project in plant-pollinator interactions and melissopalynology. Will be co-author on publication when finished, but no date for that yet because data collection ran longer than planned, so moot point. Am getting a LOR from the project lead. Other: Intern at an aquarium doing environment maintenance, animal care, and public outreach in conservation Undergrad biology program student representative Applying to: university of florida Microbiology university of chicago Microbiology Evolutionary Biology university of washington Microbiology university of pittsburgh Molecular/Cellular/Developmental Biology michigan state university BioMolecular Science ohio state university Microbiology university of oregon Biology (Institutes of: Molecular Biology; Ecology and Evolution) university of wisconsin Microbiology

Overall I think I did okay! I scored 163 V/ 155 Q / 4.0 A Not blowing the boards out of the water, but above 50% in all categories and not bad for 4 days cramming free practice tests.

Thank you, I 'bought' the free practice tests on ETS--that'll probably be the best thing to do for practice. Quant is apparently my weak point too because it takes me so long to remember the methods. After all my stats classes I never thought that it would be eighth grade linear algebra that would trip me up in the end.

Due to some weird, long-winded circumstances and because I live in the UK as an international student, I have to take the GRE in 4 days with almost no prior knowledge. I've got links to Number2 and Magoosh and Khanacademy all lined up for a good 96 hours of steamrolling before my fate is sealed. Before I do--what are the things I absolute have to do to prep? If I do nothing else, what are the most important items on my to-do list? Bonus for anybody who can find a list of non-GRE-requiring grad schools that I've seen alluded to on this forum. I know Chicago and Pitt's bio programs don't, but those are pretty lofty goals